South Gwinnett News

Representatives Lucy McBath, Gwen Moore, and Debbie Dingell have reached out to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, questioning the dismissal of Shawndell Dawson, the Director of the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, along with numerous federal employees working in domestic violence prevention.

The representatives expressed their concerns, stating, “As you begin your appointment as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), news continues to come out about staff and budget cuts across HHS. We are writing to you to express our serious concerns about these cuts, specifically as they relate to programs that support survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families."

They emphasized the significance of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act program, saying, “The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) program, under the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is the only federal funding source dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault shelters and programs and is the cornerstone of our nation’s efforts to address domestic and sexual violence. It supports lifesaving services including emergency shelters, counseling, and crisis hotlines- including the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which has provided comprehensive, often lifesaving support for over 7 million contacts." They noted the reach of approximately 2,000 community-based programs and over 240 tribes and tribal organizations that depend on these funds.

The representatives pointed out the abrupt removal of Director Shawndell Dawson, mentioning, “On March 31st, Shawndell Dawson, the Director of the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS), responsible for administering FVPSA, was placed on administrative leave, leaving OFVPS without the leadership and expertise of someone with more than 28 years of experience in supporting survivors and their families."

Their request to Secretary Kennedy is for a detailed explanation and plans to reinstate Director Dawson, to mitigate the negative effect on FVPSA administration.

The report includes concerns over layoffs at the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “We are also concerned over reports that thousands of federal employees at the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were subject to a reduction in force, including those in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control," they wrote. This center manages significant federal grants and surveys critical to domestic and sexual violence prevention efforts. They urged an immediate reversal of these workforce reductions.

The representatives asked for a response by April 30, 2025, and requested a meeting with Katherine Chon, who is overseeing the OFVPS.